Eclipse is NOT the end!
by Chi Cullen
Summary: I remembered Edward’s honey eyes, his snowwhite skin set off by his midnight tux, the ‘I do’s’ we exchanged, and the kiss that bound us as a mortal married couple. I also remember the uneasy feeling that we were being watched


Eclipse is NOT the End** -**Breaking Dawn

I would burn a hole in my dress if I looked at it much longer. I was never one to appreciate grandeur, but there was something about how the immaculate silken white roses layered themselves, playing across the pure white fabric that drew my eyes toward only it. The golden flecks in my tightly curled hair set the ensemble alight. That too, was unbearable to look away from. I couldn't ever remember feeling so…beautiful.

Renée had been reassuring me for at least a half hour that I 'looked astonishing,' picking up pieces of fabric and admiring them. For once, I didn't mind being watched, but that could have been due to the fact that it was my mother doing the watching.

Alice walked in and both Renée and I leapt nearly three feet at the sudden disturbance in our awe.

"Ugh." I rolled my eyes at the new arrival.

"Ugh? What, I thought you liked it." She nodded at the gown looking truly confused

"Ugh-who exactly is getting married here?" I hinted.

She raised an eyebrow. "You are, and if you try an escape, I'll have you know that I have all of the exits guarded!" Her eyes were fierce.

"No, no, no. I'm not trying anything like that; this is what Edward wants, this is what he'll get." I sighed, remembering that I had set myself up for this. But this was what was right. I was going to do this his way by choice. "I was merely voicing my annoyance at the maid of honor being ten times more beautiful than the bride."

It was Alice's turn to roll her eyes. "Bella, you're a vision! No pun intended there either." She fiddled with one of the tendrils of curled hair.

"Knock, knock." Esme entered the small room of the Cullen house followed closely by Rosalie.

Rosalie's invitation as bridesmaid was really just a courteous gesture of tolerance toward sisterly friendship. She hadn't spoken to Edward or me since we had announced that the wedding date was set; the date of my induction to the Cullen family was soon to follow.

"Ugh!" I nearly stamped my foot in exasperation at the sight of the two gorgeous immortals who had just walked in, their caramel gowns flowing with utter perfection over every chiseled curve. Damn them!

"Ugh? Bella, wh-" Esme started before Alice interjected.

"Nothing, Esme." Alice cut her off. "Bella's just a little jittery." She shot me a look that quite plainly said 'not today.'

"Don't let _him_ hear that." Esme warned.

I opened my mouth to reply, but Alice beat me to the punch. "She wont." Alice grinded her teeth pointedly.

Esme probably guessed my use of the term 'ugh' however, over reactive Alice behaved.

"Behave!" She warned Alice. "This is Bella's day."

Rosalie coughed meaningfully from her silent corner.

"Ah, yes," Esme translated for her, "Terribly sorry, but the ceremony is about to begin. Everybody's ready."

'Everybody' here meant a total of five people, save the Cullens, seeing as I had virtually vetoed Alice's guest list on the whole. Angela, Ben, Charlie, Renée and Phil made up the audience to the beginning of the rest of my life… or what was left of it.

Carlisle, who had followed in his father's footsteps in the Clergy business as a mortal, performed the ceremony. We had decided to go with our better judgment and not give Emmett a license.

That left Emmett and Jasper to stand beside their brother.

I gulped, swallowing nothing but dry air as I was led out to the meadow like garden of the Cullen's front yard…_my _front yard, soon to be.

The décor was perfectly underdone. Alice had known very well that I would never forgive her if she went too far.

I don't remember much after all of the eyes fell upon me, to gasps from the few witnesses.

I _do_ remember almost tripping in my too-high-heals, which were pointlessly invisible, hidden by the sheer length of the train of my gown. Being led by Charlie helped about as much as the heals. I got my poise from Charlie.

I _don't_ remember what music was playing. My mind had blocked it out, replaced it with my lullaby. Or, had that been the music to begin with?

I _do_ remember finally looking up into the eyes of my Edward, honey colored, brighter and more exuberant than the dresses my brides maids wore, but nearly the same shade. Once I was locked in his angelic gaze, I had no desire to stray from it.

I _don't_ remember being self conscious as Charlie's eyes scanned the scene like a predator surveying its prey. As Renée's eyes filled with tears, whether of joy or disappointment, I wasn't sure, but didn't care. As Angela took in the beauty of the scene and stared in awe. As Ben looked entirely out of place.

I _do_ remember exactly why it was that I loved the color black on Edward. His midnight tuxedo set off his pale, snow-white skin making it shine without the help of the sun, which had set an hour or so ago.

I _don't_ remember exactly what it was I was agreeing to. My mind was muddled by Edward's ever-dazzling smile.

I _do_, however, remember agreeing. 'I do's' are not something people tend to forget quickly. Nor is the first kiss as a bound couple. It was a strange thing. I was so sure that I would be uncomfortable kissing him in front of Charlie and Renée, but I felt no difference in this time than usual. I was in no way complaining, either.

I _don't_ know when I started crying, but the tears were there by the end of the ceremony.

But more than anything, I _do_ remember the uneasy feeling that someone was watching me. Someone other than the people on my guest list. I was sure of it. And when I said 'I do', I knew I could hear a low, ever-faint whine from the forest; see the glowing of pained eyes.

I knew what I had seen, but the hard part was trying to figure out if my mind's eye had made it up, or if there really was a…no. I was tangling my hopes, because I could not have them both. It hurt everybody to be stuck in limbo, and I had made my choice. I knew it was the right one, but it was not working out in my favor. My imagination was becoming more and more restless, and this was proof.

Jacob Black would never cast his great shadow in my path again. He couldn't and he wouldn't. No hell on earth could keep me out of Edward's arms and this wasn't Hell. Hell was supposed to be hot, but the arms that held me were ice-cold, and I was in no way ungrateful. But, was thinking about Jacob while listening to Edward's vows supposed to make me feel guilty? There wasn't any room left in my heart to let anything that was not pure joy in. Not Charlie's unwillingness to be content with my choice, not Renée's all around reluctance to my getting married, not Rosalie's silence, nothing. No guilt trip came with this particular happy ending, thank whatever goodness there was left in this world for that.

Anything in between the main events didn't matter much, and so my brain just kind of glazed its way through the reception, which was really just a small sit down dinner in which not even the humans ate much. Not that the food wasn't any good-it had been catered by my favorite little Italian restaurant-but we were all so busy talking.

Even Charlie and Renée were behaving civilized enough to agree that neither of them had been expecting this day to come for another decade or so. Further still, Phil wasn't in a bad mood about missing his team's game. 'Wouldn't miss this for heaven and earth combined,' was his exact terminology.

Though Edward laughed and talked animatedly with the rest of the party, I'll be damned if his eyes left me for a second. However, I was afraid to look into his-to find his expression.

Just when everybody was sitting themselves at the Cullen's large mock dining table-when I allowed my thoughts to drift miles away, to a small Indian reservation-I looked up, glancing into his honey-toned orbs, and found a strange depth to them. It was nothing short of exuberance, but there was something more to see there than met the glance. Had I not known my love as I do, I wouldn't have picked up on it. It was a strangely pained, saddened expression hidden deep within. A small, seemingly innocent grey cloud over his party.

Whatever the sad background was, it had to go away. I wanted it to die. I wanted to kill it. This was the day that Edward had waited more than a single lifetime for and whatever it was I didn't like it. I guess a part of me had known then what was secreted behind the liquid gold, but my mind refused to put two and two together for reasons best known only to it.

As quickly as I had seen the cloudy expression, it had vanished, replaced by another emotion. Relief?

My mind raced at near vampire speed, as the party continued on. Esme and Carlisle had just been comparing their own wedding to that of Renee and Phil, a subject that greatly rode on Charlie's nerves.

As our few guests decided it was time to leave, Edward's arm found its way around my waist, pulling me to face him as Charlie said his none-to-heart-warming goodbyes to the Cullens; Angela and Ben had given their best wishes minutes before and the tail lights of Ben's car could no longer be seen. The pain was back in Edward's eyes. Pain I was sure only I could see. I wanted to make it go away…now. However small, that pain had shown itself. However infinitesimally small that feeling was, it was not cooperating with his happiness.

I tilted my head ever so slightly to the side and gave him the most miniscule look of confusion I could. Edward, being Edward, understood what I was asking and tapped my nose to symbolize that I was not to find out until after our guests had left.

I didn't argue.

Charlie walked over to where we were standing. To my astonishment, he did something that he hadn't done since before Edward had left.

My father held out his hand to Edward-my husband.

I felt my jaw drop wide open and Alice nearly dropped the favor she was holding out for Renée to take. Edward smiled at him, grasping his hand without surprise.

"Take care of her for me." Charlie requested, pink faced with a hidden tear in his eye. And it was a request; it lacked all sense of hostility.

"With my life, Sir." Edward nodded obediently.

"I will hold you to that, Edward. And that is Charlie, to you." His face turned still redder.

Then he turned and grasped me in an awkward hug. That's when the tears decided to spring back up. It was too much. He decided to fix things with Edward just when he and I were about to disappear for good. I wasn't sure whether I was more annoyed or relieved. Annoyed that it had taken him this long, but relieved that it wouldn't end on bad terms.

End.

That was it, I thought as Charlie turned to walk away, that was my chance to really say goodbye to him and I had blown it away with my tears. It was possible that I would see him again before I was changed, but tonight was the ideal time to say goodbye to my parents forever.

NO! I would NOT start hyperventilating; I was NOT going to panic again. This is what I wanted more than anything. More than the agreement that Edward and I had come to about our boundaries. More than life itself, obviously. I would not let my overactive emotions make Edward push the date back further. I was dead set on that!

"Dad?" I called just as he was about to close the door behind him. It was now or never, possibly.

"Yeah, Bells?" He asked, worried curiosity plentiful in his voice at the sight of my tear-ridden eyes.

"Er, thanks. I guess. Thanks for letting me live with you and putting up with my temper and running away. Thanks for the last two years. Thank you." I couldn't stop the tears from falling harder down my cheeks now. There was never a time I had been happier that Alice insisted on waterproof mascara. Guinea pig Barbie had its advantages.

Rosalie walked over from her stationary position at the edge of the staircase, politely out of the way; ignorant without being rude. That seemed to be her theme for the night. Just there to not hurt our feelings. She patted my shoulder and handed me a silken handkerchief.

I smiled-or made a motion that was supposed to symbolize a smile-gratefully at her through my tear stricken eyes.

Charlie muttered something inaudible, due to his clogged throat, and then shut the door behind him. The only thing he left behind him being whatever word he had just uttered.

My face found Edward's chest and he held me there while I cried. Never the less, I had only a small moment to pull myself together.

What was I supposed to say to Renée? My mother and best friend? There were no words that expressed our bond.

Edward gently gripped my shoulder and I knew that to be the sign that Renée and Phil were waiting to say goodbye…they just didn't understand how long of a goodbye it was. That it was a goodbye forever.

I turned to see my mother only to realize that she was already at my side, patting my shoulder.

"Bella?" She cooed soothingly. "Bella, sweetheart? Are you alright?" I wasn't used to that question coming off of her lips. I was usually in her position. Rather, I _used_ to be in her position. It was not my position to hold any longer.

"I'm fine, Mom. And I want to thank you too. Thank you for being my friend and mom. We've always taken care of each other and…" but my goodbyes trailed into a fresh wave of tears.

"Oh, Bella, honey, this won't change anything! We will still be best friends, darling." She plucked me from Edward's arms, flinching as her hand bumped his stone cold chest by accident, a natural reaction that all humans with the exception of me seemed to misunderstand.

It took a lot for me to lie to her in this state, but I did. "I know. I just feel like I'm starting a new life and all. I want to make sure that you know I was grateful for the first one."

She took me aside until she thought we were out of earshot from the Cullens, which, of coarse, we were not.

"Look, Bella, are you sure that this was the right thing to do? Getting married, I mean. I know I'm asking a bit late, but are you positive?" She looked truly like a mother-more so than she had in a long time.

"I am…absolutely without a doubt positive." And it wasn't a lie. Marriage may not have been my idea of perfect, but it was for Edward, which was perfect enough for me.

"Okay, if you're certain. But Bella," she eased up with the secrecy and pointless whispering, "I want you to write, call, send pictures, e-mail and visit me as often as possible! Got it? I will track you down if I do not hear from you, so help me." She sounded harsh, but her lips curled up into the smile I knew too well.

"Got it, Mom." I had no doubt she would try to track me down, but it would be useless and I couldn't worry about that now.

"Okay." She seemed satisfied. "Well, goodbye…for now!" It was almost a warning.

"And Mom?" I added. "I love you."

Her face fell. Almost as though she knew how hard it was for me to let go and watch her step out the door only feet away now.

"Bella, I love you too." Her hand brushed my face and she pecked my cheek before turning around to face the door and Phil.

"And, Phil?" I added.

"Hm?"

"You're not so bad." I smiled encouragingly as he stared at nobody in particular with confusion.

Then, they were gone.

Alice was at my side first. "Well, that's it then." She stated.

Edward was at my side in a second, wrapping his arms around me like the tentacles of some marble octopus.

"I'm so proud of you." He whispered, kissing my ear.

As much as that elated me, it felt rather awkward as the rest of the family stood as statues, watching us.

"I need to lie down." I brought up enough voice for those five words, but that was it. I could say no more.

I wanted to thank them for one of the best days of my life. I wanted to thank them individually for all of their support. There was just something about saying it to the rest of my family that made me so grateful for all of the times that the 'people' standing before me had risked their lives to save me, time and time again. I would owe them my life for all of eternity.

But, I couldn't… not just yet. I needed a good cry before I could find my vocal chords again.

"Come, Love." Edward didn't let go of me as we walked up the stairs. It was odd, but I didn't seem to be walking anywhere, my feet should have at least been trailing on the floor, but they did not. Edward must have been half carrying me, or whole carrying me, I didn't care to look and find out either way.

Before I had time to start crying, I found myself on the golden sheets of my bed…in my room…our room. Mine to share with Edward.

It really was a shame. The golden silk was beautiful, the exact color of Edward's eyes. But they were about to be ruined by my tears. A real shame.

"Bella, you knew you would have to do it eventually." Edward reasoned, stroking my hair out of my face which was still buried in his dark tuxedo. That too was a shame. But-like the hurricane I was, it couldn't be stopped. It was like a force of nature, a gale of rain; cold, wet, and impending, making you ached right before it happened.

"I also knew that this would happen regardless of when." I managed to choke as I wiped furiously at my tears.

Edward sighed after a solid ten minutes. Or did it just feel like that long?

"I'm sorry." I apologized.

"Don't say that, Bella. Never be sorry for having emotions." He scolded.

"It doesn't change the fact that I am sorry." I lifted my hand to my face once again to wipe away my tears, but Edward beat me to it.

The room was completely silent for a moment, but for my sniffling and swallowing down more tears.

"Well, this isn't exactly how I pictured spending our wedding night, not that this isn't fun." He chuckled, adding the last part in.

I sat up, intrigued. "How _did_ you imagine our wedding night?"

"Well, I was holding you, like this. We got that part right-just a little closer." He pulled me tighter against his chest, my head resting in the crook of his neck. "And I was doing this" His kiss started at my jaw, which was presently turned upward to watch him, then moved to my throat.

One of his hands cupped around both of my wrists and placed them on either side of his shoulders, expecting me to close the gap, which I did without protest. I propped myself up on my knees to better reach his face with mine.

The kiss started out as careful as our first, but slowly became more urgent, more eager, more passionate. Until I felt his mouth open. It must have been a mistake. Edward was never the one to test the boundaries like this. That was my job. But until he realized what he'd done, I felt no will power to make it known to him.

I pulled away first this time, gasping for air. But before I could catch my breath he began kissing me again. The second time had _definitely_ not been an accident. I was sure of it.

I pushed away, panting when I next spoke. I was truly surprised that I could make myself coherent. "W-what was that?"

Edward smiled, confidence brimming to the point where he was nearly glowing in the semi-darkness. "That, Bella, was a kiss. It is an action taken to show love for another being."

"Oh, ha-ha. No, I mean what happened to the boundaries?" I asked. What on heaven and earth was I doing arguing? This is the night I had dreamed of for nearly two years! And here I was complaining about it. What was wrong with me?

"Bella, there are much bigger boundaries to be crossed than a heated kiss." His words put more meaning in the conversation than any eavesdropper would know.

"Edward, are you serious?" My voice was higher than usual. I hadn't expected him to uphold my part of the bargain so quickly.

His face fell, "What I mean is, there are bigger barriers that will be crossed in short, short time. Tonight is just for you and me to spend together appreciating each other. I don't want to have to worry about even the most remote chance of accidentally killing you tonight, my sweet. In a small amount of time, I promise you. I just want to be sure that I can do this-" he kissed me as he had a moment ago, "before anything else, okay?"

I didn't point out that he was all keen to take it in one stride that day in the meadow. It would do no good to argue. Edward was just as stubborn as I, the only difference was, he dangled the carrot in front of me and owned the right to. In any case, I had strangely lost interest in anything but spending the entire night right here…kissing Edward and enjoying what I could of my wedding night.

I tucked my head back into his neck line.

"Bella?" He sounded fearful.

"What?" I looked up. "What's wrong?"

"Well, nothing I guess. It's just that…are you feeling okay? You haven't argued in at least twelve hours."

I laughed forcefully. "I am capable of behaving myself, you know."

"I think I know that better than you." He chuckled lightheartedly.

It was quiet for a moment as I contemplated how, exactly, would be the best way to ask Edward the question that was burning a hole in my throat and in my mind.

"Edward?" I bit my lip as his hands grazed one of mine, lifting it to his eye level to examine it interestedly.

"Yes, my Bella?" He continued his contemplation of my fingertips.

"Can I ask you-" I took a breath, "What was bothering you tonight?"

"Bothering me?" He sounded confused. I was still sure that I had not imagined the pain in his eyes.

"Yes. Your eyes, whenever I looked at you, they looked…agonized. Sort of far away, I mean. What was it?"

He lifted his head a fraction of an inch, looking up at the white ceiling as he sighed. "You know too much. Too perceptive for your own good." He muttered it as though I wasn't supposed to hear it.

"What was it?" I asked again. Demanding this time.

"What was it? It was the look in _your_ eyes. I know you could tell he was there, probably before even I did. There is no mistaking the bond between two, you know?" He kissed my fingers, but I could feel the reluctance like crashing waves.

My eyes burned.

Though he hadn't said the name outright, which was probably better for both of us, there was no need. Jacob had been to the wedding.

"But I can't complain, what's done is done." He whispered into the dark.

"Edward, you have every right to complain. It won't help what has already happened, but you can tell me anything you feel. You know that I want to hear what you have to say."

"No, I can't complain. It's my fault-"

"Don't even start with me. Not this again. Yes, you left and I fell back on him, it's behind us, we've been through it a million times. Don't blame yourself for my indecisiveness."

Edward sighed. "I'm not talking about that, sweetheart, relax. I'm talking about tonight; this evening at the ceremony. Black was there because of me."

That made no sense. I couldn't imagine that Jacob was there to hurt Edward, but what else would he want of Edward?

"You got me there. I don't understand." I admitted.

"Well, when I saw that you had removed Jacob from the guest list, I decided to invite him on your behalf." He said calmly.

"You WHAT?!" I shrieked.

Edward had invited Jacob when I had expressly taken him off of the invitations list? It was so unlike him! Least of all, to Jacob!

"I sent Jacob Black an un-obligatory invitation to our wedding." He shrugged his shoulders around mine.

"He shouldn't have been put in that position!"

"Bella, you have put him in much harsher positions, I must say. I felt that he should have his own prerogative, am I wrong?"

"Yes! You could have at least told me, Edward. Damn it!"

"What? I am sorry, what do you want me to say?" He sounded so innocent it took me a moment to collect my thoughts.

"N-nothing. I just can't believe you did that."

"You sound…surprised."

"I am. I don't _like_ that you did that against my wishes, but I am shocked that you did. I knew you were making an effort to get along with Jake, but I thought that it was strictly when you had to. I'm…impressed. That doesn't mean that I forgive you for it."

"You're incredibly cute when you're mad, you know." I could feel his smile through my hair.

"That's just mean." I accused.

"Oh, _I'm_ mean now?"

"You're always mean!" I teased.

"You have no clue of what you do to me, do you?" He turned my body over so that my chin rested on his shoulder bone and my eyes stared into his, which blazed in the dark like a screaming beacon.

I answered him, "I might just have an idea." Sardonically.

"I love you." But I already knew that.

And as was promised, we did spend the night just enjoying being with one another. I couldn't remember how long it had been since we could just be together, no strings attached, no worries, no tension, and no carefulness. For all my brain could come up with, this was the first night that each requirement had been fulfilled.

This night was absolutely, without a doubt, in the top ten of my best nights. It would have been the best night if I didn't spend part of it in tears.

The faded lines between reality and dreams faded to nothing, so I was highly surprised when I found myself waking up. Hadn't I been looking into Edward's eyes the moment before? It was a very irregular feeling, close to de ja vu but not quite.

My eyes found Edward's at last.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty." He lifted me by the torso, into a sitting position so that I could see him better in the morning light. It had to be before noon, but I could see a small shimmer of unseasonable sun light through the wall sized window.

"Morning," I yawned, stretching my arms and legs, which made Edward smile. Was that really all it took? I would have to stretch more often. "What's on the agenda for today?" I asked, placing my head on the pillow that his cheek lay on.

"That would be up to you, Mrs. Cullen."

Edward's face seemed to light up at the last two words, but an odd lump-like thing formed in my throat at the expression.

"Ew." I whispered involuntarily.

"Ew?" He repeated in question form.

"Sorry!" I squeezed my lips shut inside my mouth and bit them together.

"For what? Not liking your new name? I'm sorry, Bella, do you wish to remain Miss Swan?"

I was about to say yes, when something in my stomach squirmed uncomfortably. "No, of course, I don't mind Cullen. I just have to get used to it, I guess. Mrs. Cullen has always been Esme, to me. It's different is all." I shook my head as if to dispel my distaste for the name. The name I loved on him just didn't have the same sound on me.

"Rose threatened us all that if we ever called her Mrs. Cullen she would never forget it. And knowing Rosalie, she wouldn't forget it, so we just call her Rose." He nodded and I snorted.

"Honestly, I don't mind." I lied.

"Yes you do, you're terrible at this whole lying thing. What is it that bothers you, the Mrs. or the Cullen?"

I shuddered again at the word. "Mrs. definitely the Mrs. It just sounds so…_old_. My objective is to stay young here, Mrs. makes me sound like my mother, 'Mrs. Dwyer.' I don't really know why it bothers me, it just does." I shrugged sadly. If this was my gift to Edward, why did I have to complain so much?

"Okay, Bella it is, then."

"No! I want you to call me Mrs. Cullen." Nearly incomprehensible words spluttered out of my mouth. "I want you to call me whatever you like and I'll get used to it."

"I want you to be happy; I don't want to call you anything that offends you." He seemed slightly taken aback.

"It's not offensive, surprising maybe, but you liked saying it, so I want you to." I bit my lip.

"Bella-"

"Please." I requested. "Mr. Cullen?"

His stern features seemed to turn into marble for a moment. Then broke into a smile to melt the heavens.

"So, what were we saying before all of this stupidity?" I asked, smiling under the warmth of his own.

"What would you like to do today?" He recollected. "We could stay here, or go to Charlie's and be amused by the fact that both your mother and Phil are sharing your room-"

"Wait, I thought Renée was getting a hotel? She's under a roof with Charlie? Oh God." I felt my eyes jump so far that they almost left the surface of my face.

If Charlie and Renée were sharing a house, did this mean that they were getting along? That hadn't happened since before my memory existed-since I was a baby.

"Yes, that was the original plan, but Charlie decided to be hospitable, though I doubt that that is the only factor in play to him." He sighed.

I moaned, turning over to my back and pressing my palm to my forehead.

"They haven't argued the entire time, which is good." Edward was persistent that this was a good thing, but I could see no silver lining.

"I'm not worried about an argument. Heck, when Renée left, Charlie didn't argue. It's not what he does, he keeps things bottled up and hidden from people, but it still causes him pain, eighteen years of pain. Now he's going to be spending time with her, and when she leaves and he realizes that she's gone again he's going to go to pieces. But he won't do it in front of people, or even alone. He'll just wallow for another few years." I explained.

Edward stared off into space for a few seconds before answering. "But he brought it on himself. He insisted on housing them."

"That doesn't matter." I rolled my eyes. "He will still be sulking for years."

He sighed once more. "Bella, you won't be here to see him through this for long." I felt his arms snake around my waist to pull me closer-still in my relaxed position.

"Yeah, I guess not." That put a different spin on things. "But it's better this way, because he won't have time to worry about Renée, will he?" Or will he worry about everything at once?

Edward snorted and shook his head.

"What?" Quite frankly, it was annoying.

"You're amazing, you know that? I just brought up the topic of your dead soul and you can only see how it will benefit Charlie. You should really think of what you want and need sometimes."

I felt my cheeks flush scarlet.

"What I want and need is never something I can have. You know better than any." I stared at my knees.

"If I had any say in matters, you would have whatever you want when you want it." He combed his icy fingers through my now scattered hair.

"No, I wouldn't." I begged to differ.

In my perfect world, I would have been able to remain friends with Jacob as well, though I knew that even if I could be friends with him, I wouldn't. We could never be just friends again. Not after…everything.

"Yes, you would. I don't care the cost. In _my_ ideal world, you would only be happy. And I promise you, you will be. It will be my mission from now until I move on to wherever it is that we go, to only see you smile."

That was to be my mission as well. From now on, I would not do anything, no matter what it was, to cause Edward pain or discomfort of any kind. I had seen too much pain in his eyes for one lifetime… Figuratively.

"Well, you know what I want." I hinted.

"Yes, I will speak to Carlisle about your change." His lips brushed my ear, sending ripples of cold up my spine.

"Thank you. It's unusual for you not to argue. What's gotten into you?" I smiled.

"You have, Darling. It's what you want; it's what you'll get. From now on, for all of eternity." His soft voice faded into nothing and he seemed to become distant, but concentrating hard on something in that distance.

"Edward?" I nudged him. "Edward?"

I knew there was no reason to panic, he was probably just lost in thought, but my heart was racing due to his unresponsive state.

"Edward!"


End file.
